This invention relates to an optical disc writing apparatus connected to a host system and, more specifically, a simplified optical disc writing apparatus which can read data from a first optical disc, supply the read data to the host system, and then write data supplied from the host system in a second optical disc.
In the manner known in the art, an electronic device such as a personal computer may be connected to various peripheral units one of which comprises a memory device or a recording medium. In addition, there are various types of known memory devices (recording media). The memory devices (recording media) are classified into removable media and non-removable media. One type of removable media comprises a compact disc-recordable (CD-R) disc. The CD-R disc is an additionally recordable medium which is compatible with a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM) disc or a compact disc-digital audio (CD-DA) disc. Although to write information (data) in the CD-R disc requires an exclusive apparatus or a CD-R drive and a writing application, to read the information (data) from the CD-R disc may be carried out by using a CD-ROM drive. Although it is impossible for the CD-R disc to cancel the data once written, it is possible for the CD-R disc to frequently add data.
In addition, as one type of an erasable and rewritable optical discs, a compact disc-rewritable (CD-RW) disc, a digital versatile disc-random access memory (DVD-RAM) disc, and a magneto-optical (MO) disc are well known in the art. In each of the CD-RW disc and the DVD-RAM disc, information (data) is written with a phase change recording therein. The MO disc is a disc-shaped optical memory where information (data) is written using a thermomagnetic effect of a magnetic thin film therein and information (data) is read using a photomagnetic effect therefrom. The additionally recordable media (optical discs) such as the CD-R disc, the CD-RW disc, the DVD-RAM disc, and the MO disc are herein collectively called additionally recordable optical discs.
Now, in order to write information (data) in the additionally recordable optical disc, a recording/reproducing optical pickup (which is hereunder merely referred to a pickup) requires for irradiating a laser beam on the additionally recordable optical disc.
In general, the pickup of the type described comprises a laser optical source for outputting the laser beam and an optical system for guiding the outputted laser beam to a recording medium such as an optical disc. As described above, it is possible for each additionally recordable optical disc to carry out not only reading of information but also writing of information. In the pickup for the additionally recordable optical disc, it is necessary to change output or power of the laser beam outputted by the laser optical source either on reading of information or on writing of information. This is because writing of information is carried out by forming pits in a recording layer of the optical disc by irradiating of the laser beam. Accordingly, the output of the laser beam on writing of information is larger than that on reading of information and is, for example, ten to twenty times as large as that on reading of information.
Now, it will be assumed that first and second optical discs are prepared. The first optical disc may be the CD-ROM disc or the CD-DA disc. The second optical disc may be the additionally recordable optical disc such as the CD-R disc, the CD-RW disc, the DVD-RAM disc, or the MO disc. There is the need to write contents of the first optical disc in the second optical disc. For this purpose, an optical disc writing apparatus is used or necessary in cooperation with a host system. Specifically, the optical disc writing apparatus reads, as read data, data from the first optical disc and supplies the read data to the host system to temporally store the read data. In addition, the optical disc writing apparatus writes data supplied from the host system in the second optical disc.
In the manner which will later be described in conjunction with FIG. 1, a conventional optical disc writing apparatus contains a digital signal processing portion. Accordingly, the conventional optical disc writing apparatus is disadvantageous in that a lot of parts are required and it is complicated in structure.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a simplified optical disc writing apparatus which is capable of reducing the number of parts.
Other objects of this invention will become clear as the description proceeds.
On describing the gist of this invention, it is possible to be understood that a simplified optical disc writing apparatus is connected a host system. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus reads, read data, data from a first optical disc to supply the read data to the host system. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus writs, in a second optical disc, data supplied from the host system.
According to a general aspect of this invention, the above-understood simplified optical disc writing apparatus makes the host system process at least one part of a digital signal processing portion by using software stored in the host system. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus comprises at least a pickup for reading data from the first optical disc to produce a radio frequency (RF) signal, the pickup writing, in response to a laser driving signal, data in the second optical disc, a radio frequency (RF) amplifier for amplifying the RF signal to produce an amplified signal, a binary coding circuit for binary coding the amplified signal to produce a binary coded signal, a strategy adding circuit for adding a strategy to an eight to fourteen modulation (EFM) modulated signal supplied from the host system to produce a strategy added signal, and a laser driver for producing the laser driving signal in response to the strategy added signal.
According to a first aspect of this invention, the above-understood simplified optical disc writing apparatus supplies the binary coded signal to the host system. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus makes the host system carry out, by using the software, an EFM demodulating processing for EFM demodulating the binary coded signal to produce EFM demodulated data and a decoding processing for decoding the EFM demodulated data. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus makes the host system carry out, by using the software, an encoding processing for encoding user data to be written to produce encoding processed data and an EFM modulating processing for EFM modulating the encoding processed data to produce the EFM modulated signal. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus receives the EFM modulated signal from the host system.
According to a second aspect of this invention, the above-understood simplified optical disc writing apparatus further comprises an EFM demodulating circuit for EFM demodulating the binary coded signal to produce EFM demodulated data. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus supplies the EFM demodulated data to the host system. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus makes the host system carry out, by using the software, a decoding processing for decoding the EFM demodulated data. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus makes the host system carry out, by using the software, an encoding processing for encoding user data to be written to produce encoding processed data and an EFM modulating processing for EFM modulating the encoding processed data to produce the EFM modulated signal. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus receives the EFM modulated signal from the host system.
According to a third aspect of this invention, the above-understood simplified optical disc writing apparatus supplies the binary coded signal to the host system. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus makes the host system carry out, by using the software, an EFM demodulating processing for EFM demodulating the binary coded signal to produce EFM demodulated data and a decoding processing for decoding the EFM demodulated data. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus makes the host system carry out, by using the software, an encoding processing for encoding user data to be written to produce encoding processed data. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus receives the encoding processed data from the host system. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus further comprises an EFM modulating circuit for EFM modulating the encoding processed data to produce the EFM modulated signal.
According to a fourth aspect of this invention, the above-understood simplified optical disc writing apparatus further comprises an EFM demodulating circuit for EFM demodulating the binary coded signal to produce EFM demodulated data and a decoding processing circuit for decoding the EFM demodulated data to produce decoding processed data. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus supplies the decoding processed data to the host system. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus makes the host system carry out, by using the software, an encoding processing for encoding user data to be written to produce encoding processed data and an EFM modulating processing for EFM modulating the encoding processed data to produce the EFM modulated signal. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus receives the EFM modulated signal from the host system.
According to a fifth aspect of this invention, the above-understood simplified optical disc writing apparatus supplies the binary coded signal to the host system. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus makes the host system carry out, by using the software, an EFM demodulating processing for EFM demodulating the binary coded signal to produce EFM demodulated data and a decoding processing for decoding the EFM demodulated data. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus receives user data to be written from the host system. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus further comprises an encoding processing circuit for encoding the user data to produce encoding processed data and an EFM modulating circuit for EFM modulating the encoding processed data to produce the EFM modulated signal.
According to a sixth aspect of this invention, the above-understood simplified optical disc writing apparatus further comprises an EFM demodulating circuit for EFM demodulating the binary coded signal to produce EFM demodulated data. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus supplies the EFM demodulated data to the host system. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus makes the host system carry out, by using the software, a decoding processing for decoding the EFM demodulated data. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus makes the host system carry out, by using the software, an encoding processing for encoding user data to be written to produce encoding processed data. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus receives the encoding processed data from the host system. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus further comprises an EFM modulating circuit for EFM modulating the encoding processed data to produce the EFM modulated signal.
According to a seventh aspect of this invention, the above-understood simplified optical disc writing apparatus further comprises an EFM demodulating circuit for EFM demodulating the binary coded signal to produce EFM demodulated data. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus supplies the EFM demodulated data to the host system. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus makes the host system carry out, by using the software, a decoding processing for decoding the EFM demodulated data. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus receives user data to be written from said host system. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus further comprises an encoding processing circuit for encoding the user data to produce encoding processed data and an EFM modulating circuit for EFM modulating the encoding processed data to produce the EFM modulated signal.
According to an eighth aspect of this invention, the above-understood simplified optical disc writing apparatus further comprises an EFM demodulating circuit for EFM demodulating the binary coded signal to produce EFM demodulated data and a decoding processing circuit for decoding the EFM demodulated data to produce decoding processed data. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus supplies the decoding processed data to the host system. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus makes the host system carry out, by using the software, an encoding processing for encoding user data to be written to produce encoding processed data. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus receives the encoding processed data from the host system. The simplified optical disc writing apparatus further comprises an EFM modulating circuit for EFM modulating the encoding processed data to produce the EFM modulated signal.